Tutorial: Easy 8″ Waldorf Snuggle Doll (with PDF pattern)

(These photographs were taken over a few days- and the body of the doll went from being purple to yellow! But needless to say, the colour is irrelevent; just so the photograph of the materials makes sense with the finished doll)

Here is the Easy 8″ Waldorf Snuggle Doll tutorial, with a PDF Pattern to download. Should you wish to link, please link back here to this blog, and of course, if you make one, please do post your results here or on our Facebook page! Enjoy 🙂

(P.S Make sure to check back tomorrow for a fantastic giveaway for a place on the Creating Magical Days e-course!)

Materials:

7oz (200gms) Clean Wool Fleece (Sheeps wool. I was recently gifted Alpaca Fleece: haven’t used it yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do. It feels utterly, deliciously soft and warm)

1 1/2″ (4cm) wide stretch Tubular Bandage/ Stockinette 10″ (25cm) long (this is the tubular bandage that you put on actual injuries: you could try in a pharmacy for some if you don’t have a doll supplier: I got some perfect finger bandage in a pharmacy for the 4″ dolls)

24″ x 14″ (62cms x 36cms)Jersey/ stretchy fabric for the body and hat (Velour works beautifully, or an old babygro or t-shirt-top. For this doll I used a top witha bit of stretch that Grace had outgrown)

Strong thread (for face indents and under head. I used crochet lace thread: its very strong)

Needle and Thread

Measuring tape

Scissors

Sewing machine (OPTIONAL!! I hand-sewed all of mine)

Before you start, get to know the proportions of a Waldorf doll: The head is one quarter/part of the doll, the arms and torso make up another quarter/part and the lower body/legs take up the last half/two parts.

Start with the head: You need to get a very firm ball as you will be moulding the shape of the head (I needlefelt mine to make it firm, but wrapping it tightly like here (the head moulding/ threading is more complicated, I am using a simpler version for this doll to get you started); or using a tight ball of yarn as the inner core of the head is another ingenious idea I came across recently here)

Once I have a firm inner core, I wrap more wool around the ball, leaving some hanging down under the head: this becomes the torso and keeps the head firm on the body.

Take your stockinette/tubular bandage, and stitch a running stitch around one end, pulling it tight to seal the tube. Turn inside out (Apologies, I know the stockinette looks a tad dodgy) Pull the bandage over the wool “head” (I cut off the excess once I was happy it came down far enough)Tie tightly under the head where the neck would be (Using strong thread/crochet cotton) There are many different ways of tying the head in order to make the facial indents to mould to face. I am using a very smple one here, perfect for this doll.

Taking the strong thread, double it over, and then tie halfway down the head. PULL TIGHT! And knot at the back. For the nose (you could skip this part and draw/stitch the nose on after): draw a circle under the facial indent as a guide. Take your needle, threaded with a doubled over piece of thread, and imagining a clockface as a guide:

start at 12, bringing the thread under to 6, catching some of the fleece fibres as you do.

Slipstich to 7, and bring thread to 1;

slipstitch to 2 and bring thread to 8.

Continue the whole way around, pulling on the thread as you go, catching a wisp of fibres to create a little bulk in the nose…

Next, using your skintone jersey fabric/dollskin, wrap a piece around the head, making sure to pull it with the stretch going around the head:

I pin it in place, then cut off excess, making sure I have enough to fold over each side, then sew it up the back, keeping the fabric pulled firmly: For the top of the head, i fold the fabrib down onto itself making the least bulk, and stitch in place: Tie firmly with strong thread/cotton under the chin again. A little person is emerging 🙂For the body: Print out the pattern onto A4 paper, and cut it out. Fold over the fabric, so the wrong side is facing out, and draw the pattern onto it. Pin the two pieces of fabric together so it doesn’t slip while you are stitching it (right sides facing each other) Sew on the line, leaving the neck and hand spaces free. Carefully cut around, leaving a generous 1/4″ (1cm) seam allowance. Turn the right way out, and you have the little body! To make the hands, cut out the pattern, fold over the fabric or cut four pieces (I find folding the fabric over and sewing on the double keeps the stretch correct) Sew on the line and thencut out (Keeping the stretch of the fabric going accross the hands) Here are all your pieces so far: head, body, hands. Turning the body inside out, fold back the seam allowance at the cuff. Stuff the hand firmly with wool fleece, then insert it into the cuff: Leaving the seam allowance showing. Sew around the hand-wrist, attaching firmly. Turn it all right way out again. Using a knitting or crochet needle, stuff the body with wool fibre, moving and adjusting it with your hands as you go to get a pleasant shape (ours like soft and cuddly, not to firm) Put in the head: you will possibly have to re-adjust the wool stuffing when the head goes in, as I had to do here. Too bulky and stuffed!: Some of the plump removed… Once happy with the shape, sew the head onto the neck. I sew around a couple of times: small, tight stiches to ensure it stays in place. [I should have sewn on the face next!! Anyway… moving swiftly on…] Next, I sewed the hat: cut out the pattern, place on the fold of the fabric, draw out, then sew. Cut out, leaving the seam allowance. Fit onto the head, moving and adjusting until you are happy with placement……then with small stitches, sew on. As mentioned above, this next step “should” have been completed before the hat was put on, but at this point I sewed on the face: And with a wax crayon, smudged on some pink cheeks: And there you have it! Enjoy the joy it brings your Small Ones 🙂

Emily, This is gorgeous! I so want to make one… well two of course and if they go well, I have a niece who would love one and a new niece/nephew on the way too whom I’d love to make something special for. One question – where, oh where can I get plain sheeps wool? I was given some coloured wool fleece for needlefelting (which I have yet to attempt) – but I don’t know where to get plain, clean stuff. My brother helps his father-in-law with a little flock of sheep, but they’re out in the field and their fleece is filthy when they are shorn. Where do you get yours?

Sadhbh, try ansiopabeag.ie. There are loads of places, but an siopa beag have all the materials for Waldorf dolls including the wool. You COULD get “raw” sheeps wool, wash it (hope it doesn’t felt in the process!!!), comb it and clean it etc… but it is just EASIER to buy it 🙂

Aedin, my list is exhausting too… But soon the minis won’t be quite as mini and you will find you have **time**!! (I say as I approach having a mini of my own and any hopes of getting anything done will go out the window…)

Love this doll. I am a young toddler educator in a center with no money to spend. I have been searching for a free pattern/tutorial on creating some small weighted baby dolls for my group. Could you help?

You are more than welcome to use my pattern, if you wanted to make bigger ones, you could increase the pattern size on a photocopier? There is a fantastic Waldorf doll book by Macristan Sealy, I would HIGHLY recommend it, it has patterns and superb instructions.

If you use my pattern and want to weight the doll, I would recommend using sand (grains can sprout if they get wet or damp!) sealed perhaps in a light plastic bag first, then encased in cloth. There are great instructions on the internet re the weight dolls are in relation to the age of the children, it should be easy to find if you do a Google search.